This invention is generally concerned with a method and apparatus for connecting a device to a printed circuit board and more particularly with a method and apparatus for connecting a microswitch to a printed circuit board.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,980 for a Control Circuit For Single Revolution Means, issued Mar. 6, 1990 to John R. Nobile, et. al. and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, there is disclosed a mailing machine which includes a control circuit having a plurality of switches which are actuated by associated mechanical structures for controlling timely operation of the machine. In practice, the switches have been mounted on a printed circuit board by means of metal screws, prior in time to soldering the electrical terminals of the switches to the board, in order to ensure that the switches are connected to the board in predetermined positions thereon, wherein the switches may be properly actuated by the mechanical structures with which they are associated for timely operation of the machine. However, the switches have persistently become loosened from the boards in the course of repeated operation of the machine, with the result that the switches are dislocated from their predetermined positions on the board and oftentimes electrically disconnected from the control circuit. Whereupon machine malfunctions have occurred due to untimely or faulty operation of either or both of the switches.
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,520 for a Slide Switch Assembly * * * Mounted on Printed Circuit Board, issued Nov. 8, 1977 to E.L. Schwartz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,241 for a Switch Mounting Device, issued Nov. 10, 1987 to A. Sadao, et. al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,965 for a Switch Construction With Integral Mounting Clips, issued Oct. 18, 1988 to J. Valenzona, it is known in the art to provide structures other than metal screws for fastening switches to printed circuit boards. On the other hand, such fastening structures are not known for use in an application wherein the manufacturing step of fastening a switch to the circuit board, or in a critical position thereon, precedes the step of wave-soldering the switch to the board, as a result of which the fastening structure must survive the high temperature, corrosive, environment of molten solder.
Accordingly:
an object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for connecting a device to a printed circuit board;
another object is to provide a method and apparatus for connecting a switch in a predetermined location on a printed circuit board; and
another object is to provide a method and apparatus for connecting a switch to a printed circuit board, in a predetermined location thereon, for subsequently soldering the switch thereto.